Will Retherford, Class of 2018, has released his first new single in five years, “HUMAN”. The chorus of “HUMAN” is inspired South African Bishop Desmond Tutu’s quote, “My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together.”

Retherford had moved with his family from their home in Tulsa, Oklahoma to Harlem, where they found themselves in the white minority, haunted by the discovery of hidden prejudice toward people of color in a low-income neighborhood. Never having considered himself to be prejudiced, this new awakening led Retherford to a strong perspective change and a desire to help others find what’s hidden within them. He believes if we can start with deep internal reflection on ourselves, then we can begin to change the world helping one person at a time.

From Harlem, Retherford came to General to study theology. It was here where his convictions and perspectives shifted and led to a new ideological structure. First raised up in the Word of Faith movement, Retherford was embraced by the inclusive community of the Episcopal Church and his heart grew larger for social justice and peace. In one of his classes, he learned of Desmond Tutu and was deeply inspired by his life and teachings. At General, Will learned to finally put to language what was stirring on the inside of him and now he is on a journey with the Episcopal Church as an artist writing and cultivating creative music and ideas for the church at large. He now is the creative director at Christ Church in Tulsa, OK leading their contemporary mass.

“HUMAN” will be the first of many new releases from Retherford as he dives into a new sound which he describes as “collaborating with the sounds of dance and Anglican mass – aka. Neo Spiritual Pop.” He is looking to build a bridge between “Christian music” and “non-Christian music.” He believes that all music is spiritual, it’s just the topic of focus that changes per song. He is going to be focusing on multiple releases a year centering around faith, social justice, and specifically, liturgical prayers.